Basketball

Basketball is played by millions of people, both men and women, in all parts of the world. Professional basketball is watched by millions more on TV. The game is played between two teams, with five players per team allowed on the court at any one time. Points are scored by getting the ball through a hoop called 'the goal' or 'the basket', and the team scoring the most points wins.

History

In 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor at YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, decided to create a new indoor game to keep his students fit during the cold winter months. He experimented with a team game in which players threw a soccer ball to each other and scored by throwing it into a peach basket nailed high on a wall. Later that year he wrote the first version of the rules of what he now called 'Basket Ball'. In 1906, the baskets were replaced by metal hoops in front of backboards. The ball still had to pass through the hoop from above to score a goal, however, as it did when baskets were used.

The game soon spread to other U.S. schools and universities. In the early twentieth century, basketball competitions and leagues were set up all over North America, but most didn't last long. Then, in 1946, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was formed to organize the top professional teams in the U.S.A. and Canada into one professional league. The BAA became the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949, and today the NBA is the world's top professional basketball league. Most of the world's best players are with NBA teams, attracted by the competition's popularity, its high standard of play, and the high salaries.

How the Game Works

Basketball is played on a rectangular court 28 metres long and 15 metres wide (approx. 92 ft by 49 ft) with a basket at a height of 3.05 metres (10 ft) at each end. Most indoor courts have a floor made of wood. Points are scored by throwing the ball through the opponents' basket. A goal scored from inside the three-point line earns two points (see diagram at right), and a goal scored from outside the three-point line earns three points, and goals from free throws earn one point.

NBA games are played over four quarters of twelve minutes. Teams include twelve players, but only five can be on court at one time. Players can be substituted as often as the coach likes. Each coach has a limited number of time-outs they can call during a game, and the game clock is stopped whenever play stops. Several officials oversee each game, including three on-court referees who call fouls, and table officials who keep score, run the game and shot clocks, and keep track of fouls and substitutions.

Violations and Fouls

The ball can be moved by throwing it to another player (called passing) or by bouncing it with one hand while running or walking (called dribbling). If a player moves both feet without bouncing the ball, he commits a violation called travelling. If he uses two hands while dribbling, he commits a violation called double-dribbling. If a player's hand moves under the ball while dribbling, he commits a violation called carrying the ball. Violations are also committed when time-limits are exceeded, and usually result in a free inbound pass for the opposition team.

A personal foul is committed when a player challenges another player unfairly, such as by blocking their run or hitting their arms. A player or coach who argues with a referee commits a technical foul. Fouls can be punished with a free inbound pass, free throws at goal, or with sending off. A player who commits five fouls, or six in the NBA, can no longer take part in the game and is said to have been 'fouled out'.

Shots and Passing

Players shoot for goal with a set shot if both feet are on the ground, or with a jump shot if the player is in mid-air. Other shots are the lay up (shooting, often off the backboard, while moving towards the basket) and the slam dunk (shooting straight down from above the basket). Passing can be done with a chest pass, a bounce pass or an overhead pass. More difficult passes are the no-look pass and the behind-the-back pass, though some coaches don't like these techniques because they can easily go wrong.

Famous Players

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is a former US player named "the greatest player of all time" by the NBA. He joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984 after an outstanding career at the University of North Carolina. He won the NBA championship with the Bulls in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. He also won two Olympic gold medals with U.S. basketball teams in 1984 and 1992.

Yao Ming

Yao Ming is a Chinese player who went to the U.S.A. and joined the NBA's Houston Rockets. Standing 7'6" tall (2.29 m), he is one of the tallest players in the history of the NBA. After joining the NBA draft in 2002, he was picked by the Houston Rockets and became the first player without any American basketball experience to be selected first overall in the draft. Yao Ming has a huge following in China, and he has increased interest in basketball in China and throughout Asia.

Basketball Vocabulary

Word

Example sentence

Meaning

assist

James won the MVP award with 28 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

a pass to a teammate that leads directly to a goal

backboard

My shot came off the backboard and down through the hoop for a 3-point goal.

a board behind the basket, off which the ball may rebound

basket

In the early days, peach baskets were nailed to the walls and used as goals.

1. a container used to hold or carry things
2. a net fixed on a hoop used as the goal

block

He stepped in front of our player to block his run, and the referee ruled it a foul.

to stop the movement of an opponent, or stop an opponent's pass or shot